Guide Dog in Training Saves Two Lives

A guide dog in training is being hailed a hero.

Guide dogs are often called life changers by the visually impaired, but there is one Guide Dog for the Blind that is being called a life saver after he alerted his handlers of a potentially disastrous situation this week in San Rafael.

A yellow lab named O'Neil was the first to notice a car driving backward down a sidewalk Monday morning. His turn alerted trainers Todd Jurek and Danielle Alvarado of the danger and they quickly ran around the corner and were narrowly missed by the careening car.

Guide Dogs said Jurek and Alvarado were assessing O'Neil to see if he was ready to be assigned to a blind person.

"So I think O’Neil heard the wheels come upon the curb, so he heard that before I did,” Jurek said.

Surveillance video captured the near miss. It shows the three walking down Fourth Street when the dog looks back first to see the car.

That turn alerted the group who quickly ran around the corner. They just made it safety ahead of the out of control car.

The driver continued across the street and crashed into a storefront. Luckily no one was hurt.

Police said they think the female driver jumped the curb because she thought she had her foot on the brake.

No charges will be filed, but police say they would like the driver to be checked out by the DMV.

For more information about Guide Dogs for the Blind, please visit www.guidedogs.com.

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